Massoud Habibion, 49, a U.S. citizen, Mohsen Motamedian, 44, a U.S. citizen, and their Costa Mesa, Calif., company, Online Micro LLC, were sentenced today in the District of Columbia in connection with a scheme to illegally export millions of dollars worth of computer-related goods from the United States to Iran through the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today announced a settlement with QEP Field Services Co. (QEPFS), formerly Questar Gas Management Co., to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act at five natural gas compressor stations on the Uintah and Ouray Reservation in Northeastern Utah.

Loretta Fergerson and her sister, Tracey Fergerson, both of Montgomery, Ala., were each sentenced to 115 months prison for their involvement in a conspiracy to file claims for false income tax refunds using stolen identities, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. U.S. District Judge Mark Fuller ordered the Fergerson sisters to pay $504,305 in restitution to the IRS.

The Department of Justice announced that Jerrod Porter Lane, 26, a former detention officer at the Muskogee, Okla., County Jail (MCJ), pleaded guilty today in federal court to charges related to his assault of an inmate at MCJ and his subsequent attempts to cover up the assault. Lane pleaded guilty to use of excessive force, violating the civil rights of an inmate, falsifying records and making false statements to the FBI.

The indictment charges Paul Ben Arredondo, 63, of Tempe, with one count of federal programs bribery, two counts of honest services mail fraud, one count of attempted Hobbs Act extortion and one count of making false statements.

Ezinne Ubani, the former director of nursing at Family Healthcare Group, a Houston home health care company, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nancy Atlas in the Southern District of Texas to 97 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release.

The Justice Department today released a final rule to prevent, detect and respond to sexual abuse in confinement facilities, in accordance with the Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA).

An owner of a Houston health care company was convicted yesterday by a jury in the Southern District of Texas in connection with a $750,000 Medicare fraud scheme.

The co-owner of a Detroit-area physical therapy company was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for her leading role in a more than $1.9 million Medicare fraud scheme, announced the Department of Justice, the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

Three defendants in separate cases involving the use of stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns have pleaded guilty in the Middle District of Alabama, the Justice Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.

The Justice Department announced that it has reached an agreement with Wythe County, Va., that will allow for the county and its three political subdivisions, the Wythe County School District and the towns of Rural Retreat and Wytheville, to bail out from their status as “covered jurisdictions” under the special provisions of the Voting Rights Act, and thereby exempt these jurisdictions from the preclearance requirements of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. The agreement is in the form of a consent decree filed today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, and must be approved by the court.

Nicole E. Luvera, 29, of Newnan, Ga., pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Amy Totenberg in Atlanta to a criminal information charging her with one count of theft of government property.

"Since its earliest days, this city has been a center of culture and commerce; of revolution and innovation, of political activism and social advancement. Today, I am hopeful – and confident – that St. Petersburg will serve as a meeting ground for thoughtful, respectful discussion; and that this gathering will be a starting point for a new level of international cooperation," said Attorney General Holder.

"The Abbott resolution was the most recent result of the President’s initiative to crack down on health care fraud," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Delery.

John Wyss, aka “Bones,” 55, of Monroe, Wis., was found guilty of one count of engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, one count of conspiracy to advertise child pornography and one count of conspiracy to distribute child pornography.

The Department of Justice announced that North Carolina Department of Correction’s Division of Community Corrections Probation Officer Willie James Steele Jr., 47, was indicted yesterday on civil rights charges for violating the constitutional rights of a female probationer that he was supervising by coercing her into sexual acts on two separate occasions.

The Department of Justice today announced the filing of a lawsuit against the Nevada Division of Forestry (NDF) alleging that NDF discriminated against Ms. Tawnya Meyer, a former employee, when they fired her soon after she announced her pregnancy.

The Justice Department announced today an extension for existing swimming pools to comply with the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design. Existing pools must comply with the standards by Jan. 31, 2013.

The Justice Department today announced a settlement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the city of Flint, Mich., to make all the city’s polling places more accessible for individuals with mobility impairments. The case was commenced based on a complaint from the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service, and was investigated jointly by the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Michigan.

Donald R. Megginson, a former resident of Alexandria, Va., pleaded guilty to corruptly endeavoring to obstruct and impede the due administration of the Internal Revenue laws, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today.

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with Home Depot U.S.A. Inc., to resolve allegations that the company violated the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA) when it terminated the employment of Army National Guard soldier Brian Bailey.

Markos Baghdasarian, the president of Delfin Group USA, was arrested on Saturday, May 19, 2012, at the Hartsfield International Airport in Atlanta, just prior to boarding an international flight to the United Arab Emirates.

Jean Rene Duperval, a former director of international relations for Telecommunications D’Haiti S.A.M. (Haiti Teleco), a Haitian state-owned telecommunications company, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for his role in a scheme to launder bribes paid to him by two Miami-based telecommunications companies.

"The Attorney General and I are committed to a criminal justice system and a sentencing policy that are both tough and fair; that deter those contemplating serious criminal conduct and that are guided by research that show when non-incarceration is the best sanction," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.

A jury convicted William A. Herder of Richland County, Ohio, yesterday on federal tax charges, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced.

Jonathon Felix, formerly of Villanova, Pa., was found guilty by a federal jury of willfully signing and filing false income tax returns, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania Petrese Tucker presided over the trial in Philadelphia.

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against Whiz International, an information technology staffing company in Jersey City, N.J., regarding allegations that the company violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it terminated an employee in retaliation for her opposition to Whiz’s preference for foreign nationals with temporary work visas.

Chris Allen Oake, 61, of Acton, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton in Boston.

"It’s been remarkable to witness the way the issue of reentry has taken root in so many communities across the country. And it’s impressive to see how, thanks to visionary leaders in the Administration, in Congress, and in the states, the topic has become so prominent on the nation’s public safety agenda," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary

"Today, I want to assure each of you that – for me, for President Obama, for leaders across the administration, and for my colleagues at every level of the Justice Department – effective reentry is, and will remain, a top priority," said Attorney General Holder.

Attorney General Eric Holder issued the following statement today on the resignation of United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Patrick Fitzgerald.

A Delaware company pleaded guilty today in federal court in the Eastern District of Louisiana to negligently discharging oil into the bayous of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, the Department of Justice announced.

Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole paid tribute to four individuals today during the National Missing Children’s Day ceremony at the Justice Department’s Great Hall.

BP North America Inc. has agreed to pay an $8 million penalty and invest more than $400 million to install state-of-the-art pollution controls and cut emissions from BP’s petroleum refinery in Whiting, Ind.

Veniamin Gonikman, 56, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Ukraine, was sentenced today in federal court for his role in an international conspiracy to compel Eastern European women to work in exotic dance clubs in the Detroit metropolitan area. U.S. District Court Judge Victoria A. Roberts sentenced Gonikman to 36 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release. He is the ninth and final member of the charged conspiracy to be sentenced.

Alan James Watson, 47, of Clinton Township, Mich., was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for fraudulently soliciting and accepting $40 million from more than 900 members of his investment club, Cash Flow Financial LLC (CFF).

"For nearly nine decades, ALI has been on the front lines of efforts to improve the strength, integrity, and effectiveness of our justice system," said Attorney General Holder.

"Today, I’m very pleased to announce that we’re awarding almost $27 million to support NCMEC’s great work. The funds will continue all the great programs I just named – and many more, like the national resource center and information clearinghouse," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary.

"I’ve spent much of my career – as a prosecutor, in government, and as head of the National Center for Victims of Crime – working to strengthen our responses to victims of all ages. I never cease to marvel at the incredible devotion and resolve of victim advocates," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Leary.

"I am so pleased to be here today to honor four individuals for their extraordinary efforts to find and rescue missing and exploited children and bring perpetrators to justice. Their achievements – and the stories behind them – remind us of the special qualities possessed by every single one of you who works to protect our children," said Deputy Attorney General Cole.

"And although I may not know anything about creating an Emmy-winning comedy series, or exposing the absurdity of modern politics through a satirical newscast – though I frequently encounter the absurdity of modern-day American politics – I do know something about what you’ve experienced, and about how you feel – right now, in this moment, with so much hard work and so many long nights of studying behind you – and an exciting, but uncertain, future now before you," said Attorney General Holder.

The Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) Working Group announced new resources today in the ongoing effort to investigate misconduct, including the launch of a RMBS website to report fraud and the creation of a coordination team to facilitate the various investigations underway around the country.

The Justice Department released two technical assistance documents today regarding the application of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to swimming pools. The documents can be found at www.ada.gov//qa_existingpools_titleIII.htm and www.ada.gov/pools_2010.htm.

A federal judge in Washington has ruled that automobile dealers who engage in certain three-party financing transactions must disclose certain information to consumers who take out car loans if they are offered less favorable terms, such as a higher interest rate, than the most favorable terms available to the majority of consumers

The indictment charges Susan Tomsha-Miguel, 51.

The Department of Justice announced today that it entered into a settlement agreement with the Lincoln Parish School Board in Louisiana to ensure the school district reaches full compliance with its longstanding desegregation obligations. The agreement was approved by a judge today and is in the form of a consent order.

"My colleagues and I across the Justice Department – and the entire Obama Administration – remain deeply committed to expanding this work through funding grants, training, and other forms of assistance. We’re eager to continue partnering with leading jurists like those who serve this Court, tireless advocates like our allies at the PSA and NADCP, and determined drug court participants like each of you," said Attorney General Holder.

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor primary elections on May 29, 2012, in Fort Bend, Harris and Jefferson Counties in Texas, to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes. The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group. In addition, the act requires certain covered jurisdictions to provide language assistance during the election process.

Alejandro Gonzalez, 60, of Miami-Dade County, Fla., was convicted by a federal jury in Miami of three counts of making false statements to the U.S. Coast Guard and one count of obstruction of an agency proceeding.

Mid-America Pipeline Company LLC (MAPCO), and Enterprise Products Operating LLC, of Houston, have agreed to pay a civil penalty of more than $1 million to the United States to settle violations of the federal Clean Water Act related to three natural gasoline pipeline spills in Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.